1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to preparation of tortillas and, more particularly, is concerned with an improved tortilla dough forming machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tortilla forming machines are known that employ extrusion systems. Typically, such a machine is constituted by a vertical conical hopper which at a lower part thereof leads into a chamber having a lengthwise extrusion slit. A rotatable worm or screw conveyor vertically disposed in the hopper has the same shape as the hopper. As a mass of dough is deposited in an upper part of the hopper, the rotating screw conveyor takes up the dough and drives and injects it under pressure toward the lower part of the hopper and toward an inlet to the chamber.
Several other screw conveyors lead from the hopper into the extrusion chamber. The latter screw conveyors then take up the dough from the vertical screw conveyor and introduce the dough into the extrusion chamber from which it exits through the extrusion slit in the form of a continuous curtain of dough. Conventional means known in the art are then employed to cut individual tortilla cakes or blanks from the curtain of dough as it exits the chamber slit.
The above-described prior art tortilla forming machine produces excellent results. However, its cost is high due to the number of parts it includes. For the same reason, its handling and cleaning are complicated and costly. Consequently, a need exists for an improved machine which will effectively overcome the above-mentioned problems without introducing a set of new ones.